Extremist fervour set to give Shoebridge and Hanson a reality check as election looms

At the back of a makeshift queue for a free “How to be extreme” pamphlet, a pensioner was heard politely asking whether the pamphlet included a section on courteous disagreement. The scene, set under a sky that could barely decide between drizzle and sunshine, seemed a fitting backdrop for the latest bout of political theatre.

The real test, however, isn’t the weather or the length of the line, but the moment an election is formally announced, because that’s when public sentiment tends to do a polite U‑turn and start looking at the extremes with a slightly less enthusiastic gaze.

For Shoebridge, whose recent speeches have resembled a high‑octane rally car, the upcoming election could be the moment his engine sputters in traffic. Hanson, ever the poster child for unapologetic rhetoric, may find her usual megaphone echoing a little too loudly in an empty hall.

Local councilors, accustomed to juggling pothole repairs and community garden grants, have started to whisper that the next few weeks will be less about how loud you can shout and more about whether anyone is actually listening.

The media, ever eager to turn a phrase, has already coined the term “extremism in vogue”, a label that feels about as comfortable as a winter coat in a heatwave. It’s the sort of thing that makes seasoned political analysts reach for their tea and their sense of irony.

Meanwhile, the electorate, which has been known to shift its allegiances faster than a commuter train on a delayed schedule, appears poised to reconsider its appetite for the louder, more polarising voices.

If history is any guide, the moment the ballot boxes are rolled out, the novelty of radical slogans tends to wear off, leaving voters to wonder whether they’ve been handed a brochure or a brochure with a free extra dose of cynicism.

In the end, the only thing certain is that the queue for the “How to be extreme” pamphlet will likely shrink, and the real question will be whether Shoebridge and Hanson can find a seat at the quieter side of the café.

So as the election call reverberates through the city’s council chambers and coffee shops alike, the stage is set for a modestly dramatic showdown between flamboyance and the inevitable pull of ordinary voter fatigue.